Re: Sleeping after surgery

[Guest guest]

CDRW@... wrote:

> Well here are the questions... Can i sleep on the back of my

> head after surgery?... can i sleep on a waterbed?... what position can

> i sleep in?... do i have to be sitting up or laying down?

After my surgery sleeping was pretty tough, it became a chore. In the hospital

I

pretty much slept in the fetal position on my side. When I came home I slept on

my side with a feather pillow on top of a flat pillow. Sometimes I would wake

up

and shift to my other side, because I'd become stiff from staying in one

position

too long.

Sleeping on my back was out of the question, I couldn't take the slightest bit

of

pressure on the back of my head, it would give me a tremendous headache. I can

sleep on my back now (10 months post op) but not for too long or I will get a

headache.

As for the waterbed, if it is comfortable for you, then go ahead and do it.

> 3rd thing... could you eat after surgery?... how long did it

> take for you to be able to chew solid food?... i can't imagine living

> off chicken broth for a week... yuck ... i hate that stuff even when i

> am well...

The day after my surgery, when I was moved from ICU to my room, I was given

jello

and italian ice for the first day. That's all I could stand because I was so

nauseous. After that they gave me solid foods, which was fine (except for the

flavor..yuk). I had no problems chewing or swallowing food. It took a long

while to get my appetite back, though. I did end up losing 10 pounds because I

just couldn't eat as much. I still have only gained 5 back.

> 4th thing... how long did it take all of you to get over the " i

> just want to die " stage?... same question except " maybe i'm not going to

> die " stage?... same " hey this is better " stage?... and last but not

> least " i am cured " stage?... basically what was your recoup time?...and

> what was it like?

I had to laugh at the " I just want to die " statement, because that's exactly how

I felt the first 24 hours after my surgery. Each day was a hurdle, but each day

it got a little easier, also. I was back to work two months after my surgery,

and felt great at about 3 to 4 months. That's when I noticed I had the strength

back in my legs, which was one of my major problems prior to surgery.

Each person who has this surgery heals differently, some may notice improvments

early on, some take longer. The most important thing to remember is to be

patient and take it easy. Don't overdo it, because that may cause setbacks in

your healing.

Good luck,

Sheila